


Courting Pleasure

by Joylee



Series: Politics and Passion [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, F/M, Rumbelle Order In The Court
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-09 11:17:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16448921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joylee/pseuds/Joylee
Summary: Belle French, star reporter, thought dating Rumford Gold would be simple now that the conflict of interest that had existed between them when he was Senator Mary Margaret Blanchard-Nolan’s chief political adviser had been removed by his leaving politics to look after his young son and become a Law School professor.  Turns out both of those things could create complications of their own.





	Courting Pleasure

**Author's Note:**

> Takes places in naive days of April 2017 back when we thought trying to deport the DACA kids was the worst that could happen with the Administration’s immigration policies. 
> 
> Please get out at VOTE people!

Belle was grabbed by Ruby Lucas before she even retrieved her shoes from the security scanner at the Federal Courthouse. “Granny said she was going to send someone from the paper to cover the argument, but I didn’t think we’d get the famous Belle French from the Congressional and National News desk.”

“I volunteered.” Belle explained. “Rum’s a friend. And this looked like a good story to put a face on this new round of deportations. They’re kids, right? These folks that you’re trying to stop from being deported?”

“Yeah, me and some of the other pre-laws have taken on the defense of some minors that ICE is holding.” Ruby went on. “We got twelve cases we’re working on. Tonight we’re going for a restraining order to keep them from deporting three of them. One is a seventeen year old that has lived here for fifteen years and has looked after her little brother, who’s an American citizen by the way, since their Mom had to go back to Honduras because their Grandmother got sick. The other two are two sisters from Syria who’s parents sent them here to stay with some cousin. Except it turns out the cousin was undocumented and now ICE wants to send these two little girls back to Syria even though we can’t locate their parents.”

Belle made some notes as they rode up in the elevator. “And how did Rum get involved in this?”

“Mr. Gold? Well, our adviser usually handles the court proceedings and he’s out of town, so we needed someone to step in for him. I babysit sometimes for Mr. Gold.” Ruby gave her the side eye here.

Because most of those babysitting sessions were so Belle and Rum could go out. 

“And I knew he’s putting together that seminar for the law school to do pro bono appellate work. So I kind of guilted him into it.” Ruby shrugged, despite her comment she clearly had no regrets. “It wasn’t hard. He’s a sucker for big puppy dog eyes and the two Syrian girls are younger than Bae.”

No it would not have been hard to talk Rum into taking up the cause of these three children. He had left a high profile job as Senator Mary Margaret Blanchard-Nolan’s chief political adviser to become a University Professor when his son came to live with him. 

 

Rum was prepping for his argument in one of the client conference rooms next to the courtroom. ‘Room’ was a bit of a stretch. It looked like they had taken a storage cupboard and shoved three chairs and a very skinny table in.

“Hey,” He looked up from his laptop as she came in. “I take it Ruby talked her Grandmother into giving the kids some press.”

“Apparently Ruby is very persuasive all around.” Belle perched on the table, shifting a stack of books to make room. “I wouldn’t have thought this was your sort of case.”

“It’s not. And, completely off the record by the way, I’m terrified.” He leaned back in his chair. “I trained as a solicitor not a barrister. Even after I came to the states I think I’ve argued maybe three or four cases total. All of which were contracts cases. But apparently Ruby and her classmates couldn’t find anyone else actually admitted to the Bar to argue the case. I tried to get out of it by saying I couldn’t leave Bae. But Ruby came back an hour later with an earnest young woman from the Education Department who is majoring in early childhood education and works part-time at a daycare, who informed me that since she couldn’t do anything directly to help the children being deported, looking after Bae would be her way of contributing to the ‘cause’.”

He rubbed his neck. “These students make me feel very old sometimes.”

“What can you give me on the record.” Best get her story while she could.

“That we believe that it is a grave injustice to deport these children.” Gold went on to outline the basics of his argument. Being careful to keep his language suitable for laymen. Belle was going to be able to quote him practically verbatim. 

“It sounds like you have a good case.” She told him when he finished his summary.

“Ruby and the kids in the seminar put it together.” He said. “I’m just presenting it and fine tuning some of the language. It’s easy to be passionate about these children. I met with them earlier over at the detention center. Hearing their stories made me want to just bundle them up and take them home with me.”

Ruby had chosen her prey well, Belle noted. She was tempted to include that last comment in her story.

“You know your becoming a Professor was suppose to eliminate conflicts of interest between us.” She pointed out. “I've written more stories about you in the last month than I did in the two years before when you were Senator Blanchard-Nolan’s chief political adviser.” 

Looking at her over the top of his readers (and oh, God that was sexy) Rum asked, “Is that going to be a problem?”

“I should probably file a conflict letter and let the paper know.” Belle admitted. “I mean I told my editor about us. Granny doesn't seem too worried, but I suspect HR and legal are going to want paper to cover things. Only...”

This was probably not the time or the place to bring this up. He was about to argue a case. These children’s lives depended on it.

But Gold closed his laptop. “Only?”

“Only I'm not sure what to say.” She told him. “I mean it's only been since February. Are we friends with benefits? Dating? What?”

“Belle...” He sighed.

She jumped in. “Look I know it’s really early to be having the ‘relationship’ talk. But from our banter I had the impression you were really interested. And while I certainly enjoy our lunches and evenings out, we’ve only ever… benefited the one time.”

“The weekend Bae spent with his mother.” Gold said. 

“Yeah. Oh!” She had not previously made the connection. “Is that what the problem has been?”

“When I suggested…” He considered, “Is ‘courting’ too old fashioned a term? Because I really am looking for something long term here and dating seems too superficial.”

“I certainly would have no objection to being courted.” She found herself grinning like a fool. “Although it would be nice to adapt it for the twenty-first century and include some overnights.”

“And that’s precisely problem.” Gold looked rather dour. “I seriously miscalculated the logistical issues involved in being a single parent and conducting an adult relationship. My babysitters both turn into pumpkins at midnight. Bae’s not ready to have sleepovers at one of his friends yet. He wasn’t all that comfortable spending the night with his Mum.”

The morning after their one night together they had been awakened at 6:45 by a phone call from Gold’s ex-wife telling him he needed come to the airport and get Bae because her producers wanted her back in Aleppo to film the most recent military push.

“Thereby reducing her three day weekend with her son to more like a day and a half.” Gold had complained to her as he dressed hurriedly. 

Belle was rapidly coming to dislike Gold’s ex. The way she treated both Gold and Bae strongly suggested that they were better off without her. 

“So basically we need to find a way to schedule our with benefits time around your sitter’s schedule?” Okay that was doable. “If we got take out and went back to my place we’d have time most evenings.”

He looked pained at that. “I didn’t intend this just to be a booty call, Belle. I want us to have time to… get to know each other.”

“Nothing says we can’t talk over the take out.” However, no reason to discourage his courting though. “We could trade off. A night out followed by a night in. I get comp time regularly. On the days you don’t have class we could get together while Bae’s in school.”

“If you’re sure that’s all right.” Rum sounded dubious.

It sounded more than all right to her. In fact… “How much time do we have before you have to appear before the judge?”

Gold glanced at the clock across from him. “Thirty-five minutes.”

“We’ll have to be fast then. Does that door lock?”

“Certainly. It’s a room to use for confidential intercourse with clients.” Rum smirked.

She liked that smirk. Still it was good to see it wiped from his face as she climbed down from the table and locked the door. “Good”

Sauntering back the three steps to his chair, she straddled his lap and sat down. 

She just fit between him and the table. “You might want to push your chair back a little.”

He swallowed hard. “Belle, what are you doing?’

“Making time.” Taking his face in her hands, she kissed him. Slowly and thoroughly.

His arms came up around her. She was already leaning into him, so the embrace did not bring them any closer together, but it did anchor her in place.

Much as she was enjoying the kiss they did not have a great deal of time. So as she kissed him, her hands went to his tie. Carefully undoing the knot so as not to crease the silk. As she slipped it out from his collar, he pulled back a little. He looked so cute blinking at her in confusion. “Uhm, Belle...”

Carefully laying the tie on the table behind her, she told him. “Better take off the jacket too. I don’t want to send you in front of the Judge all wrinkly.”

Pushing the chair back until it hit the wall behind him, Gold shrugged out of his jacket even as he said, “Are you sure about this? Making out like a couple of kids in a court conference room isn’t terribly romantic.”

“We don’t have time to go down and take advantage of your back seat.” She needed to take care of essentials before things got too far along. She could reach her purse without getting up. While Gold folded his jacket and laid it on the table next to his tie, she dug around until she produced a small foil wrapped packet. As his eyebrows went up, she added. “And who says we’re just going to make out?”

“I should probably object to this.” Gold took the condom from her. “You deserve rose strewn sheets and champagne. Not a quickie in what amounts to a large closet.”

“You can bring roses and champagne for out next date.” Belle started undoing his belt. “Right now I just want you.

“And all available evidence suggests you feel the same way.” She had to be careful unzipping him so as not to catch the growing bulge at his crotch in the zipper.

“Oh, God, yes.” He pulled her in for another round of kisses. The hand not holding her head slipped under her skirt to make rapid work of pulling her panties off.

Removing them completely took a bit of wiggling. They ended up hanging from her left ankle. It was a good thing she had forgone leggings or hose tonight.

Settling back on his lap, she could feel the heat from his cock pressed against her thigh. Rum’s hand’s were still under her skirt. Massaging her back side and sliding between her legs. Circling and rubbing her folds.

She was embarrassingly wet already. And Rum seemed bent on taking full advantage as his fingers found they way deeper into her. “Oh, yeah there. More of that.”

He obliged, shifting his hand so that he could both rub and thrust up inside her at the same time. She grabbed his shoulders so she could get more leverage and rub against him as well.

Groaning, he murmured, “Love, we need to get that condom on. Now.”

Between them they managed to get the condom open and rolled down his length. This time as Belle settled back into his lap, she carefully lined them up and slowly impaled herself.

They moved gently at first. Gold asking, “Okay? Not too rough?”

“No. Perfect.” She went back to holding his shoulders. That way she could pull herself up when it felt like he was penetrating too deeply. But soon she was the one sliding down as deeply as they could go. Burying him deeper with each thrust.

His hand slipped down to rub her clit. “Oh, Yeah. There do that some more.”

After that she found herself riding pulse after pulse of pleasure. It was only minutes until she finished, shaken and breathless. Rum came immediately after. He must have been holding back on sheer will power to let her finish first.

She rested her head on his shoulder as the both caught their breath. He cupped the back of her head and gently kissed her forehead. “That was wonderful, sweetheart.”

“Yeah it was.” She raised her head to kiss him properly. “How much time do we have left?”

“Less than ten minutes, I’m afraid.” Gold said regretfully.

“Best get you tidied up then.”

They had a bad moment in figuring out how to dispose of the condom. Luckily Gold had a packet of tissues in his pocket, “I have a seven year old. Tissues are obligatory. I also have juice boxes in my refrigerator.” Which gave them something to wrap it in, but there was no waste bin in the room.

Digging through her purse, Belle found a folded piece of aluminum foil that had held her breakfast toast that morning. “Here. I’ll chuck it in the ladies and no one will be the wiser.”

Gold quickly rearranged his clothing and put on his tie. He seemed a trifle dispirited for someone who had just had a pretty intense orgasm. Anxiously Belle asked, “What’s wrong.”

“Nothing.” He hastily shrugged into his coat. “It was wonderful. You’re wonderful.”

“But?” She was not buying it.

“This,” He gestured between them. “Us. It isn’t just sex is it? Because wonderful as that was… well, I do rather like to be able to enjoy the afterglow for longer than a minute.”

“Oh, sweetie.” She had to stand on tip toe to kiss him. One of her high heels having been kicked under the table at some point in the last few minutes. “Once we figure out how to manage some alone time together, I promise you all the cuddling you want. But you are just so damn jumpable I couldn’t resist.”

He pulled her closer. He seemed to need some reassurance so she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. 

“Mr. Gold? Mr. Gold? They’re ready to get started.” There was a sharp knock and then the door handle jiggled. “Are you there?”

“I’ll be right out, Ruby.” Gold called out. He rested his forehead against hers briefly. “I can’t ask you to stay. I have to wait for a decision. And Lord only knows how long it’s going to take for one to be issued. And once it does I’ll need to explain it to the clients.”

“I’m on deadline. I’ll stay as long as I can but I’ll have to head up to the press room to file for the morning edition even if the decision hasn’t come down.” Belle told him. “Maybe we could talk tomorrow? Are you free for lunch?”

“Mr. Gold, you really need to come.” Ruby was starting to sound frantic.

“Coming, Ruby!” He called, pulling back to knot his tie. Belle smoothed it into place for him. 

“I can’t make lunch.” He told her. “Bae has early release tomorrow. Maybe you could come for dinner? Bae goes to bed at 8:30. We could talk after?”

She suspected that the intercourse would be strictly verbal with his son asleep upstairs, but that would be okay too. “Sure.”

“Mr. Gold!”

“You better go before poor Ruby breaks down the door.” She told him.

“Right.” But on the way he bent down and scooped up her underwear off the floor. “Uhm...”

She grabbed them from him and stuffed them into her purse. “Go.”

She managed to get her lost shoe on before he got the door open. Ruby grabbed Gold and was hustling him down the hall. Pausing only long enough to give Belle a lascivious smirk. 

A quick stop in the bathroom to comb her hair, slip into her panties and stuff the foil with the condom deep into the trash. There was a good chance Ruby, or one of Rum’s other students would be in here at some point and there was no reason to add fuel to a no doubt already blazing fire of gossip about her and Rum.

She made it into the Court room just in time to hear Rum announce, “May it please the Court, Rumford Gold for the Petitioners...”


End file.
